Letter: Responding to letter’

This is in response to Mary Meeks letter “On President Obama” published on July 23.

“I am deeply saddened that a sitting president would go on national television and make a statement against our court system. Isn’t he an attorney?”

I disagree. Even the President has a right to voice his opinion. They do it in Congress all the time, and there are many attorney’s.

“How can anyone except the ones present know what actually happened?”

I agree.

“In order to trust the justice system we must accept the final decision of the courts.”

I agree. I don’t agree with the verdict, but I believe in my country and I believe in my judicial system, so I accept the verdict, unlike many who have never accepted the President. Maybe I should say in order to trust the justice system we must accept the final decision of the people as I am sure if it was indeed unfair, my justice system would have done something. I realize there are some who don’t like that verdict either.

“Mr. President, I am a ‘white American Indian’ and I socially mixed with men of color every day. Do I fear them? NO! Am I scared of them? NO.”

1) There is “officially” no such thing. If you look up race and ethnicity for the demographics of the United States of America, that is not a category. That is what you may choose to call yourself, which is certainly alright, but it is hard for me to get your point.

2) Since you are a “white American Indian” and you socially mix with men of color every day, what does that make you compared to me? Does it give you an edge? I am a white American and I socially mixed with men of color every day. Or an African-American who is black and socially mixes with men of color every day. Or a yellow Asian-American who socially mixes with men of color every day. Or a Hispanic-American who is “brown” and socially mixes with men of color every day. Or, a red American Indian and socially mixes with men of color every day. What difference does color or ethnicity make when mixing with men of color every day? (I don’t think skin color is yellow or red or black or white like the little song we sang as children … red and yellow black and white, we are precious in HIS sight).

Do I fear them? NO! Am I scared of them? NO!

Work is work and socially is socially. Why would you be afraid of or scared of someone you choose to be socially mixed with?

“But, Mr. President, if I am walking down the street alone, at night, and someone, be they white, black, Hispanic or female, and they present themselves as a hoodlum, will I cross the street? You’re damn right I will!

“The only reason I would not cross the street would be to pull the gun from my purse and blow their brains out before they kill me.”

Oh my, Oh my. What are they guilty of? Presenting themselves as a hoodlum. Go to any college campus and you will find a HUGE majority of the students in hoodies and pajama bottoms. What if they are studying late at night and decide to walk home? I have three grandsons who are I guess white Hispanics, even though there is no such thing. My oldest daughter married a man of Hispanic origin. They all wear hoodies. One is expecting his third child. One is at UTSA going into his third year, couldn’t come home for the summer as he has a job. He is still with the same girl since they were in seventh grade. The other is at Navarro and works for me. He is always there, never late. I just took a “2+” week vacation while leaving him to do quarterly reports, get everything in QuickBooks, reconcile bank accounts, etc. Checked it all when I came back, PERFECT! His hoodie hangs in my store. I worked in Dallas for 12 years as the administrator of a SPN (Specialty Provider Network) serving the homeless and mentally disabled of Dallas County. We were writing a grant. We began at 8 one morning and at 4 the next morning (that is 20 hours non-stop), I had to have some coffee. I had started out in a suit the day before but somewhere between then and 4 the next morning, I changed to jeans and a T-shirt, but I forgot my other shoes. With my make-up all wiped off from rubbing my eyes, my hair a mess, and no shoes, and didn’t care, I headed over to get a cup of coffee. The waitress was visiting with customers and folding napkins. Yes, there were plenty of customers at 4 a.m. Amazing. She saw me when I came in. I finally got her attention and asked her for a cup of coffee. She gave me a disgusted look and said she would get to me when she could. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? I wonder how I presented myself?

And ... who is to say that ALL men or boys, or young men, are to look just exactly like the men of color that you choose to be socially mixed with, the ones you are not afraid of, the ones you are not scared of?

I, a woman, do not plan on walking down the street alone at night. But had I gone out to my car at 4 a.m. when I went for coffee and it did not start, and someone walked toward me with dread locks (scary – a hoodlum I’m sure) I should shoot him before he kills me (I just cannot bring myself to say I would blow his brains out) or someone covered with tattoos (scary – a hoodlum I’m sure) I should shoot him before he kills me. He didn’t do anything, but from my eyes, he presented himself as a hoodlum.

And … all you men of color who fish at the marina, some of you look just pretty darn scary when I am working late in the night. I am always amazed when I find out that my fishermen, men of color, are doctors, lawyers, and super professional men of color. YOU SURE DON’T LOOK LIKE IT.

Why can’t we just put a stop to this race business. It has been dead for years if we would just let it die.

You write that I am a “White American Indian?” White is a color. You write that you socially mix with men of color, not just men? If it has been dead for years, you would not be writing about you or anyone else being “of color.” We can only hope one day it is a reality.